Photographic-print washer.



"'fN'o, 737,983.' PAIENTED sBPT.'1-1jg9oa.. H. o. WHITE a; A. H. vmmLIJI.;s,051-r:. v PHOTQGRAPHIG PRINT WASHER.,

APPLIOATIOVN FILED APB. 23, 1903.=

z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NQ MODEL.

11o-.737,983. EATENTEE sEPT.'1,19o3.'

E. c. WHITE a A. E. MALLIsoN'.

PHOTOGRAPHIE BEINT WASHER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 1903. 1510 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- ough Work it is both desirable and necessary 'brought in contact With the surfaces of the YUNITED STATES Patented September 1, 1903.

PATENT OEEIWCE.

HAWLEY O. WHITE AND ALVIN H. MALLISON, OF NORTH BENNINGTON, VERMONT, ASSIGNORS TO H. C. WHITE OO., OF NORTH BENNINGTON, VERMONT, A CORPORATION OF VERMONT.

PRINT WASHER.

,SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,983, dated September 1, 1903.

Application led April 23, 1903.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, HAWLEY C. WHITE and ALVIN H. MALLISON, citizens of the United States, residing at North Bennington, in the county of Bennington and State of Vermont, have invented an Improvementin Photographic-Print Vashers, of which the following is a specification.

In the various steps required for the production of photographs difliculties are-constantly experienced in the washing of photographic prints, for the reason that abundant water andconstant agitation are required,and the prolonged handling of prints is not only attended with great labor and close application," butis damagingto the edges and often to the surfaces of the prints. In washing photographic prints in bulk and to accomplish thorthat each print be exposed on both sides to a current of running or constantly-changingwater until it is free from all objectionable chemicals, and it has heretofore been found almost impossible to prevent the prints from packing together or sticking to each other during the Washing process for various reasons.V Where agitation by artificial means has been resorted to to keep the prints separated, they have often been injured by being agitators or with the hands of the attendant. If prints in bulk are subjected to the washing process in a tank through which a running current of water passes, they are quite likely to float to the outlet end of the tank, where they will pack together closely, so that only those exposed directly to the flow of the Water will be cleansed. In other cases on account of the tendency of saturated paper to sink in water they will all sink to the bottom of the washer or be carried around to the position of least agitation of the Water, -Where they will collect in a body, so that only the outer prints will b'e acted on by the current. One difficulty in the Washing process has been that where the prints are washed in large quantities in one receptacle they do not come out uniformly cleansed', so that to secure absolute cleansing ofthe prints it becomes neces- Serial No. 1 53,909. (No model.)

sary to Wash the whole batch until the foulest print is clean, and in doing this some prints are subjected to saturation much longer than is necessary, which is detrimental, andmuch time is lost by the prolonged Washing.

The object of our invention is to overcome these difficulties by a device adapted for automatic operation and through which a current of clear water is caused to flow in a direction opposite to the tendency of the prints en mosse to descend, the action of which will be to cause a separation of the prints from one another, so that the individual prints may descend gradually by gravity through `the rising Water, whereby the Washing-water can act upon the entire surfaces of each print as periodically isolated to obtain a maximum of efficiency in a minimum of time consumed, the said operation being repeated at each automatic action ofthe device. The overliow-water is utilized to effect this automatic action and effect the inversion of the receptacle repeatedly and progressively.

We provide a receptacle or box pivotally mounted and adapted to receive a half-rotation in first one direction and then in the other.A Water enters at about the central part and overflows through a device provided in the uppermost end and flows into a bucket on one side, filling the same, overbalancing the box and giving such a momentum to the box that a half-revolution is imparted thereto. A stop and yielding devices are preferably and advantageously provided for arresting this movement and holding the box at the end of each half-rotation. The risingwater buoys up the prints, yet permits them to separate and gradually fall by grav-v ity to the bottom through the rising water. This is accomplished between the semirevoluble movements. Consequently when the box turns the prints are at the top and commence to fall with a slow gentle undulating motion, and these movements are continuously repeated while the prints are washing. As the Washing-Water preferably enters at fined to the upper part of thereceptacle, the impurities or chemical salts,&c.,washed from about the center of the box, the iiow is conj the prints passing away with the discharged water, thus leaving the water in the lower por tion quiescent, but clear, before the descending prints enter it.

In the drawings we have represented at Figure l a perspective view of our improved photographic-print washer, parts of the tank or case being broken open for clearness. Fig. 2 is an elevation and partial section; Fig. 3, a section at right angles to the position Fig. 2 and partial elevation, and Fig. 4 is a partial plan view.

The tank or inclosure a preferably surrounds the box containing the washing-water and is advantageously provided on at least one side with a platform a. In the drawings this tank has been shown without a bottom, because the same may be connected to any suitable spillway device for carrying away the washing-water, and the same forms no part of our invention. The semirevoluble box b is mounted upon trnnnions b', carried by suit-able bearing-frames secured within the tank or inclosure. The opposite ends cf the box are preferably recessed and'provided with check-valves d d, one valve being at the upper end and the other at the lower end in each movement of the washer, the valves preferably working by gravity, so that the lowermost ene is closed and the uppermost one open. Opposite edges of the box on the same side are provided with buckets e e,which preferably agree in length with the width of the side and are of an appreciable de pth.

Water is introduced into the box at about the central part by the pipe f, and the same fills the interior of the box. In the side of the box between the buckets e e' we prefer to employ a sleeve g and removable screw-cap g', connecting therewith. Opposite ends of the box are provided with finger-rods h h on the center line of the box,and pivoted to the platform a. is a spring-controlled arm 7l. The free end of this arm projects beyond the edge of the platform toward the box, and the opposite end is preferably provided with eyes to which are connected springs 2 3, the other ends of the springs being connected to eyes at distant parts of the platform a', the office of the springs being to normally hold the arm t' directly across or at right angles to the line of the platform a and form a stop for the iinvger-rods h h.

Pivoted to the surface of the platform a' and at opposite sides of the arm fll are springcontrolled levers 7c 7a. These levers are pivoted at 4. Their movement in one direction is stopped by pins 5, and their free ends come beneath the free end of the arm t'. Springs 6 are interposed between parts of these levers and the bracket-blocks 7, secured to the surface of the platform, said levers being adapted to yield against the action of the springs 6 by the finger-rods 7L h' as they pass by and move said levers with the opposite movements of the box.

We do not limit ourselves to the.l1ereinbefore-described devices for arresting the opposite movements of the box b, nor do we limit ourselves to the employment of any devices for the performance of this operation.

The prints t0 be washed are inserted in the box b through the sleeve g upon the removal of the screw-cap g when the box is in a hori- Zontal or substantially horizontal position, with the screw-cap uppermost. In the position shown in Figs. l and 3, with the prints in the box to be washed, with sufficient water therein to float the prints, a iiow of water is started through the pipefinto the box, and the same fills up the box. The weight and position of the prints, even with the rising Water, are sufficient to cause them to sink by gravity to the bottom of the box. Fig. 3 shows the valve CZ open and the valve d' closed. Consequently the rising water passes out of the valve CZ, fills the recessed upper end of the box, flows over the lowered edge or spillway to the box into the bucket e. As soon as the bucket e is full the'weight at this side is sufficient to overbalance the box b and to cause the finger-rod h to pass by the lever 7f3, and the weight of overbalancing causes sufficient momentum to impart to the box a half-rotation, which brings the check-valve d' and the bucket e uppermost, and the finger-rod h in this movement passes by the yielding lever k' and stops against the surlface of the spring-controlled arm t. This arm t' yields to the force of the rotation as delivered against it by the finger-rod h' and returns to a normal position, said finger-rod being retained between the free end of the arm 't' and the inclined surface of the lever 7a'. With this turning movement the prints being washed within the box are brought to the top, and the individual prints at once commence to separate from the mass and descend through the box again by gravity with a slow, gentle, and undulating movement and the water to iiow around and over all surfaces of the prints and out of the now open check-valve d', the lowermost valve d being closed. Also in this movement the water from the bucket @and from the recessed top of the box has spilled out within the tank and been conveyed away. The water now flows out of the 'check-valve d', filling the recessed top of the box, overflows into the bucket ef, and when the bucket is full overbalances the box, imparting a half-rotation to the same in a direction opposite to that of the first movement, in this movement spilling the water into the tank and bringing the valve d and bucket e uppermost and the finger-rod h again into the position shown in Fig. l. These movements are continuously repeated, a half-revolution being effected in rst one direction and then in the other, the prints in each case within the box being at the upper portion and falling by gravity through the rising Water in the manner described to the bottom and in this way are thoroughly washed Without being handled or IIO Ils

'remesa injured, and we provide in the side of the box opposite to the sleeve g and screw-cap g a plate of glass 8, through which, if desired, the action of the washing water and the movements of the prints may be viewed.

In the half-rotation of the box in rst one direction and then in the other the fingerrods h 72, strike against the curved edges of the levers 7l: 7c', causing the same to yield against the action of the springs 6, so as to allow the finger-rods to pass by the levers. This partially arrests the momentum of the box, and when the finger-rods strike against the opposite surfaces ofthe spring-controlled arm il the movement of the box is arrested and the levers returned to their normal position of rest in Fig. 4, where said finger-rods are held, and further movement is prevented in the angle produced by the curved surfaces of said levers and the faces of said arm 2'-, a notch, as it were, being thus produced for holding the finger-rods so as to retain the box in position and insure no movement of the box until the buckets are completely lled and ready to overow, at which movement there is sufficient weight of water to cause either of the levers L' 7a to yield and permit either arm to pass by and the box to overturn and the respective movements to be repeated. l

We claim as our invention- 1. In aphotographic-print washer, the combination with a pivotally-mounted overbalancing box adapted to contain washing-wa-- ter, of automatic devices at the respective ends ofthe box providing for the escape ofthe water at the uppermost end, and devices providing for the entrance of the washing-water at a point appreciably below the discharge, whereby an upward circulation of the washing-water is at all times maintained.

2. In aphotograpliic-print washer, the combination with a pivotally-mounted box, of means for supplying water to the box and overflow devices acting in connection therewith for providing a rising circulation of the water, devices receiving the overflow-water for overbalancing the box and for causing a half-rotationtheretofirstin one direction and then in the other.

3. In a photographic-print washer, the combination with a pivotally-mounted box, of means for supplying water to the box, and overflow devices acting in connection therewith for providing a rising circulation of the water, devices receiving the overflow-water for overbalancing the box and for causing a half-rotation thereto first in one direction and then in the other, and yielding devices for arresting the box at the ends of the respective movements.

4. In aphotographic-print washer, the combination with a tank or inclosure, of a pivotally-mounted box, meansfor supplying water to the box and overiiow devices acting in connection therewith for providing a rising circulation of the water, devices receiving the overflow-water for overbalancing the box and for causing a half-rotation thereto first in one direction and then in the other, and yielding devices for arresting the box at the ends of the respective movements.

5. In aphotographic-print washer, the combination with a pivotally-mounted box, of means for supplying water to the box and overliow devices acting in connection therewith for providing a rising circulation of the Water, devices receiving the overflow-water for overbalancing the box and for causing a half-rotation thereto iirst in one direction and then in the other, and means acting at the ends of the respective movements of the box for bringing the same to a state of rest.

6. In a photographic-print washer, the combination with a tank or inclosure, of a pivotally-mounted box, means for supplying water to the box and overflow devices acting in connection therewith for providing a rising circulation of the water, devices receiving the overflow-water for overbalancing the box and for causing a half-rotation thereto first in one direction and then in the other, and spring-controlled yielding devices, and devices on the box contacting therewith at the ends of the respective movements of the box for both arresting the movements of the box and for retaining the same in its respective positions.

7. In a photographic-print washer,the combination with a semirevoluble box, of trunnions and bearings for-pivotally mounting the same in said tank or inclosure, checkvalves in opposite recessed ends of the box, buckets at opposite ends of the box and upon the same side adapted to receive water overcwing from the recessed ends, a device in one side of the box through which the photographic prints to be Washed are introduced,

and means for supplying waterto the box.

8. In a photographic-print washer,the combination with a tank or inclosure, of a semirevoluble box, trunnions and bearings for IOO pivotally mounting the same in said tank or inclosure, check-valves in opposite recessed ends of the box, buckets at opposite ends of 'the box and upon the same side adapted to side adapted to receive water overiiowing' from the recessed ends, a device in one side of the box through which the photographic prints to be washed are introduced, means for supplying water to the box, means upon one side of the box and projecting beyond the respective recessed ends,and yielding devices mounted upon a part of the tank or inclosure and With Which the devices at the ends of the box contact so as to arrest the movement of the box and hold the same in its respective positions.

l0. In a photographic-print Washer,the coml bination with a tank or inclosure, of a semirevoluble box, trunnions and bearings for pivotally mounting the same, check-valves in opposite recessed ends of the box, buckets at opposite ends of the box and upon the same side adapted to receive water overiiowing from the recessed ends, a device in one side of the box through which the photographic prints to be Washed are introduced, means for supplying Water to the box, linger-rods secured to one side of the box and projecting beyond the recessed ends, a spring-controlled arm and spring-controlled levers `mounted upon the platform of the tank or incllosure and adapted for contact with the finger-rods at the ends of the respective movements of the box so as to stop the movements of the box and hold the same in its respective positions.

l1. In a photographieprint Washer,the combination With a tank or inclosure, of a semirevoluble box, trunnions and bearings for pivotally mounting the same, check-valves in opposite recessed ends of the box, buckets at opposite ends of the box and upon the same side adapted to receive Water overflowing from the recessed ends, a device in one side of the box through which the photographic prints to be Washed are introduced, means for supplying Water to the box, nger-rods h h secured to one side of the box and projecting beyond the recessed ends, a pivoted springcontrolled lever i placed at right angles to one side of the tank or inclosure and mounted upon the upper surface or platform thereof and with Which said nger-rods contact at the ends of the respective movements of the box, and levers 7c 7c pivoted to the said platform provided With stops and springs for actuating the same and having curved surfaces, said levers being engaged by said iinger-rods in their movements and pressed aside, and said finger-rods being held by the angle produced between the surfaces of said levers and the said spring-controlled arm, substantially as set forth.

12. In a photographic-print Washer,the coinbination with a tank or inclosure and a platform at the upper edge thereof, of a box, trunnions upon' opposite sides of the box, bearing-frames Within the tank or inclosure pivotally supporting said box and opposite ends of the box being recessed, check-valves d d in said recessed ends, buckets e e upon the same side'of the box and adjacent to the opposite recessed ends to receive the overiioW-Water from said valves and recessed ends, a means for introducing the prints to be Washed into the box, finger-rods h h upon one side and projecting beyond said recessed ends, a pivoted spring-controlled arm t' and pivoted spring-actuated levers k 7c engaging the said finger-rods, and a pipeffor supplying Washing-water, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Signed by us this 23d day of February, 1903.

HAWLEY C. WHITE. ALVIN H. MALLISON. Witnesses:

F. SCOTT, H. R. WHIPPLE. 

